Posting fresh content on your website is critical to growing your reach and consistent blogging is a great way to get the job done! But unless you’re actively promoting your posts, chances are you aren’t going to get a lot of traffic.
Joseph Jaffe, Founder and CEO of Evol8tion, LLC, recommends spending 90% of your time promoting the blog you wrote during the other 10% of your day.
So where do you start??
If you have unlimited time to read and implement complicated strategies, there are hundreds, if not thousands of blog posts on the matter.
But I’m betting that’s NOT the case. So THIS post is written with YOU in mind; the solopreneur or small business owner who needs a quick and simple process to get their content seen.
I’ve read DOZENS of those lengthy blogs and realized I’m not their audience.
I don’t have the time or inclination to implement “107 Content Promotion Tactics.” I don’t know anyone who does!!
I’ve developed a simple, 3-step system I KNOW I will follow through on each and every time I post, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
The content is written … now what?
Do you blog like me? Once you psych yourself up to start writing you leave it ALL on the keyboard!
YEP! The blood, sweat, and tears on the keys are evidence of how much of yourself you poured into your post.
Writing may not come naturally to you, it’s not my superpower, for sure. You probably have to work at it and when you finally hit PUBLISH on that blog post, there’s this sense of accomplishment, relief, and calm …
Until THIS thought creeps in …
What if no one reads it other than your mom and BFF?
I’ve been there!
I don’t mean to discourage you … I think you should keep sharing your genius with the world on your blog.
But that means you have a few more steps to accomplish before you can pop-the-top on your favorite beverage and bask in the afterglow of hitting PUBLISH.
Step 1 – Send an email to your list
The subscribers on your email list should be the first to know you’ve published a piece of content. They are your patients, customers, your loyal followers, and they deserve some special attention.
It doesn’t have to be lengthy, in fact, it should be just a quick paragraph or two that lets them know you have a new post up on your website: A quick greeting, a link to the blog post, a quick excerpt, and close with an invitation to comment or email you with any questions or feedback.
Don’t overthink this. It doesn’t have to be fancy!
Step 2 – Post to Social Media
Whether your followers are on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter (or all of them), knowing when to post and how to say it is key.
These tips work across all social platforms:
- Include your blog link in your social media profiles.
- Share your blog as soon as it’s published to create buzz, then share again using slightly different graphics/captions according to the following schedule: later same day, next day, 3-days later, one week later, 2 weeks later.
- Repurpose snippets of your blog content into your social media posts. Use small excerpts that will tease the reader into clicking over into your website for the full blog post.
- Network with other bloggers to share and re-share relevant content that you believe your followers will appreciate.
There’s A LOT of content vying for the attention of your audience on Facebook. And they expect to be entertained, so do your best to make your posts funny, humorous, inspirational,or just super informative.
- In general, the best times to post to Facebook are early afternoon (1-4) on the weekdays and around noon on weekends. Check your analytics if you want to really zero in on the best times.
- Post once per day with < 10K followers or twice per day with > 10K followers.
- Entertaining posts get MUCH better engagement on Facebook. Quick and funny are winners here!
- Emoji’s – YES!!! 👍
- Hashtags – #hashtagsrule on Facebook. They categorize your content so more people can find it. Not #hashtagsavvy? Don’t worry … you’re not alone! Read this CoSchedule blog.
- Important posts can be pinned to the top of your page to make sure it’s the first post visitors will see.
- Keep in mind that ONLY 6% of your audience will see your posts in their feed. Don’t forget to share again according to the schedule mentioned above.
You may think it’s challenging to promote your blog post on Instagram with the limitations they impose on clickable links, but there are ways to make it work for you.
- Share your blog post to Instagram Stories.
- Spread out important information over several stories to gain more traction with followers. On the last frame tag yourself in your post using the @mention sticker so followers can get to your bio with just one tap!
- Use AMAZING images and videos to promote your blog
- Start telling your followers about your blog and leave them hanging … they’ll have to get the full post on your website.
LinkedIn shares a lot of best practices with Facebook, with these exceptions.
- LinkedIn is most active Monday – Thursday, so plan on posting once a day during the work week. Fridays don’t get a lot of tractions, so if you post that day don’t expect a ton of engagement.
- LinkedIn is a social network for business professionals, so it makes sense to promote blog content that builds skills, inspires, or relates to a specific industry.
Step 3 – Schedule SIX pins to Pinterest
Pinterest is often lumped in with the other social networks, but it is SO MUCH MORE! It is one of the most robust search engines out there.
In fact, this social platform is chosen by 60 percent of online users over other search engines.
We live in a visual world, so let’s take advantage of that by posting SIX images to Pinterest for each blog.
Here are some tips for creating the most effective Pins:
- Pin to multiple boards – For example, this blog about blog promotion could be pinned to boards designated for my entire brand, my blog, email marketing, content marketing, blogging tips, and social media.
- Embed creative images into your blog posts – Optimal Pinterest aspect ratio for images is 2:3 with a minimum 600px width. Images should relate to the topic of the post.
- Write descriptive copy for each Pin – Include a catchy headline and brief, interesting description. Just enough of a teaser to entice the pinner to click through to the blog. Add a call-to-action to your description, like “Click here to read more …” or “Check out …”
- Get your timing right – Do some research to figure out what time of day is best for your industry.
Pinterest is a platform that LOVES content, with a recent CoSchedule study concluding Pinning nine times a day is best.
So go ahead and show some of your older posts some love and curate some cool content from other accounts you follow while you’re in the scheduling mode.
Easy as 1-2-3, right?
If you follow my QUICK & EASY 3-step system for promoting your blog post, you’ll see that getting visitors to your website isn’t difficult, nor does it need to include costly ads or paid followers.
Go ahead and BOLD-type that Call-to-Action!!
If you believe you have created valuable content, that you’re helping others by sharing your experience, that you’re improving your reader’s life in some way, own it!
Shout “go read my blog” from the rooftops!
Not feeling it yet?
If you need help implementing these steps, schedule a free 15-minute consultation with me here.
If you need help with the visuals for promoting your blog, I’ve got you covered there, too!
Head on over to my SHOP at https://lisaannmarie.com/shop/ and grab a set of 26 completely editable Canva Blog Promo Templates. These coordinating images are designed in the proper aspect ratio for each platform mentioned above.
